Expert Tip: Eating Too Much Garlic Can Kill Sperm
Recent reports suggest that excessive garlic consumption can harm sperm and is detrimental to fertility. Is this claim scientific? A reporter interviewed the director of the Andrology Department at the Air Force General Hospital to find out.
"Garlic is a natural broad-spectrum plant antibiotic, containing about 2% allicin, which has a significant inhibitory and lethal effect on various pathogenic bacteria such as staphylococcus, meningitis, pneumonia, and dysentery. Eating raw garlic is also an effective method for preventing the flu and intestinal infections," said Hu Haixiang. However, because garlic is a pungent food, consuming too much of it can indeed damage sperm.
For men, excessive garlic intake can harm the spleen and stomach's vital energy (Zheng Qi). The spleen and stomach provide the body with sufficient nutrition. If their function is impaired, symptoms such as loss of appetite, fatigue, and emaciation will inevitably appear, affecting kidney energy, leading to damaged Qi and blood, and ultimately resulting in low sperm count and infertility in men.
However, men need not avoid garlic altogether, as it is an excellent food for cancer prevention and dietary therapy, and moderate consumption is beneficial for overall health. It is generally recommended that men with poor spleen and stomach function should avoid eating it raw. Instead, they can use it as a seasoning when cooking, with one or two cloves being sufficient each time.